The design and purpose of New Testament baptism continues to be discussed and debated. Even though some religious groups go to great lengths to prove that Bible baptism is an immersion in water, they will declare that it has nothing to do with a person’s salvation. This is evident as one can read in The Hiscox Standard Baptist Manual by Edward T. Hiscox. Over the years our brethren have debated our Baptist friends as to the purpose of water baptism while both sides agreed that baptism is by immersion only. Furthermore, our Baptist friends will teach that it is required that a person must be immersed in order to be a member of that denomination. This kind of reasoning would, in short, state that an individual could be saved without ever joining this denominational body. Our religious friends teach that when a person repents and believes in Jesus Christ as being the Son of God, he is saved at that point in time. Additionally,  that baptism would be considered a work of man and not of God. Yet, they would require a ‘non-essential’ (baptism) to be experienced by a ‘saved’ individual in order to be a member of the Baptist Church. As you can see, they separate salvation and church membership; that is, you are saved by faith only, but you have to be immersed in order to be a member of their denomination. However, they are not the only religious organization that teaches and practices this doctrine relative to baptism. In

In the hymn, “More Like Jesus,” the first stanza lyrics are, “I want to be more like Jesus, And follow Him day by day; I want to be true and faithful, And every command obey.” Our beloved Savior is worthy of our imitation. After all, He is the perfect example. Peter wrote in 1 Peter 2:21, “For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps” (NKJV). The apostle Paul encouraged the Christians in Corinth to “Imitate me, just as I also imitate Christ” (1 Corinthians 11:1). Here are some of the characteristics of Jesus we should instill in our lives. If you don’t love Jesus, you won’t have Jesus. Paul penned, “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed…” (1 Corinthians 16:22). We are to love our brothers and sisters in Christ. Jesus said, “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:34-35). “Let brotherly love continue” (Hebrews 13:1). Jesus taught that we should love our enemies and even those who persecute us (Matthew 5:43-44). Though we cannot attain perfectly to the example of Jesus, nevertheless, we should strive to be “More and more like Jesus, I would ever be, More and more like Jesus, My Savior who died

Sometimes brethren think that God permitted His Son to come to earth to be the Savior of the world of His own desire, and so God allowed Him to do so. However, Scripture does not support that concept. The apostle John wrote concerning the controversy Jesus had with the Jews who did not accept the Sonship of Jesus. They exclaimed that God was their father, but the Lord declared they were the children of their father, the devil. “Jesus said to them, ‘If God were your father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me” (John 8:42; 7:28 ESV). It is the last sentence of Jesus’ statement that I want to consider in this article. It was in eternity that God predetermined that His Son would be sent to be the Savior of fallen mankind. The decision to send His Son was a mutual agreement with the Father and the Son because they are one. The apostle Peter wrote that the elect of God “were not redeemed with corruptible things, like silver and gold… but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot. He indeed was foreordained before the foundation of the world…” (1 Peter 1:18-20 NKJV). In Revelation 13:8 we read, “All who dwell on the earth will worship him [the dragon and the beast] whose names have not been written in the Book of Life

The brother and his wife were about to leave our house when I said these words to my Christian friend, “You smell like sheep.” You see, he and his wife have been helping to buy some of our groceries since the spring of 2020 when the pandemic began in our nation. My brother in Christ is one of our six shepherds who serve and lead our congregation. I could safely say that all of our shepherds smell like sheep. The reason I make that statement is that I have observed them visiting the sick, staying with families in the hospitals when a loved one is in surgery and visiting the sick – whether in their homes, in nursing homes or in hospitals. I know they have carried in their cars the sick to doctors locally or in another city. They also encourage weak members to be more faithful to the Lord. They will also visit those who have fallen away from Christ and His church to encourage them to repent and to come back to the Lord. To smell like sheep, you have to be among the sheep to lead, protect, feed, keep watch over them and endeavor to know them. There are other terms in the New Testament regarding the work of those who are chosen to care for the flock that is under their oversight. They are elders (presbyters) and overseers (bishops), in addition to shepherds (pastors). Here are a couple of passages of Scripture in which we find these

Our faith is foundational in order to have fellowship with our Heavenly Father. In Hebrews 11:6, we read, “But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (NKJV). This is also true regarding the Son of God. Jesus said to the scribes and unbelieving Pharisees, “Therefore I said you will die in your sins; for if you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (John 8:24). The apostle John wrote in his Gospel record 20:30-31, “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.” A sincere and unswerving faith will cause our hearts to love God and the Lord Jesus Christ. In answering a question from a certain lawyer, Jesus replied, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). What is true about loving the Father can also be said about His Son because they are one. In John 10:30, our Lord said, “I and My Father are one.” Jesus later said to His disciples, “As the Father has loved me, I also have loved you” (John 15:9) and “This

Grace, love and mercy are inherent in the very nature of our Heavenly Father, God Almighty! Two Scriptures have these attributes mentioned regarding our God. They are Ephesians 2:4-8 and Titus 3:4-7. Please read the first passage in Ephesians 2 and observe what is written about mercy, love and grace: “rich in mercy,” “great love,” “exceeding riches of His grace” and “For by grace you have been saved” (NKJV). Now read the passage in Titus 3 and observe what Paul wrote about love, mercy and grace: “Love of God our Savior, but according to His mercy He saved us” and “justified by His grace.” God’s grace is greater than our sins. “…He, by the grace of God, might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). “In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of His grace” (Ephesians 1:7). Our iniquities demanded God’s justice, but instead, He extended His unmerited favor to us so we could be redeemed by the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ His beloved Son! “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13). “For when we were still without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly” (Romans 5:6). In our finite minds, we will never be able to comprehend the “width and length and depth

“And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 22:39 NKJV). This statement made by our Lord was a partial answer to the question, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” (Matthew 22:36). The Savior had first replied “…You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). The thought of loving oneself might seem to be rather selfish and arrogant; however, Jesus teaches us to love others in the manner we love ourselves. The apostle Paul wrote, “So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself” (Ephesians 5:28). Yet, the question might be raised as to why a person should love himself. We learn in Genesis 1:27, “So God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” While man’s physical body was formed from the dust of the earth, the part of man that pertains to his spirit, mind and soul was made in the likeness of his Creator. Man is not a product of a mere accident or by chance. The Great, August God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth was both the Designer and the Maker of man. Such knowledge caused the Psalmist to declare, “I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, And that my soul knows very

Farmers have planted the seed for this year’s crops as evident by the plants of various kinds now growing. Even we who have gardens annually anticipate the time when we can enjoy working the soil. It is also a wonderful experience to be able to enjoy vegetables from the garden. There is an age-old truth that we would like to bring to your attention once again, and that is, you always reap as you have sown. This seems very simple and elementary, but it is very profound. In the study of the Parable of the Sower or Soils, as recorded in Luke 8, we learn that Jesus used the common and known to teach spiritual truths to those of sincere and honest hearts (8:10). Jesus said that the Seed is the Word of God (Luke 8:11). God’s power of salvation today is the Gospel of His Son (Romans 1:16). The Word never changes. It will always produce after its kind. The soil is also most important because it represents the various kinds of hearts. If there is a failure in reaping, such cannot be blamed on the Seed, for therein is the God-given power to germinate and reproduce. James wrote that we should “receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls” (James 1:21). Peter declared that we have “been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever” (1 Peter 1:23). Wherein is the failure to

The beautiful pink roses on our white fence are now fading white. They hit their peak by Mother’s Day. They are still beautiful, but they are fading fast. You see, like other beautiful flowers, the time comes when the beauty of the roses fades, and eventually they will die. This is also true of mankind. We will also fade or pass away. The apostle Peter in 1 Peter 1:24-25 wrote, “…All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever…” (NKJV; cf., Isaiah 40:6-8). Life at the longest is brief when compared to eternity. The writer, James, in his letter, wrote that life “is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). In Psalm 90:9-10, we read, “For all our days have passed away in Your wrath; We finish our years like a sigh. The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.” Regardless of age, life is very fragile, and death can occur at any time. Some of us are in the winter of our lives, and we are definitely closer to eternity than ever before. It is only in Jesus Christ that we can have an abundant life presently (John 10:10) and for

The God of Israel had this to say regarding the spiritual status of His people, “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children” (Hosea 4:6 NKJV). Is it possible for spiritual Israel (the church of the Lord) to be rejected because of the lack of the knowledge of the Word of God? The answer is a resounding, “Yes!” There is always the probability that the church of Jesus Christ can lose its identity because of ignorance of the Holy Scriptures. Where there is a void in the understanding of the Bible, there is the potential of being led astray from the teaching of the Lord. When this happens, an apostasy usually occurs over a period of time. We must never assume that all Christians have a proper understanding of biblical matters. Therefore, it is of necessity that elders require of their preachers and teachers to present lessons and sermons over a broad spectrum of subjects pertaining to the authority of the scriptures, how to rightly divide the Word of God, the identity of the church of our Lord, acceptable worship as well as the grace and love of God. There is always a great need for a balance in the preaching of the Word of God. The apostle Paul instructed Timothy in this manner, “And the things that you have heard from

As Virginia and I were on our way home following the Sunday morning assembly, we saw a beautiful tree in its magnificent golden splendor, and I thought of the words of God, the Creator of the heavens and the earth in Genesis 8:22. It reads, “While the earth remains, Seedtime and harvest, Cold and heat, Winter and summer, And day and night Shall not cease” (NKJV). God remains faithful to His promise. We have the changing of the seasons. Autumn, with the beautiful and diverse colors of the foliage, is a favorite season of the year. Yet, we know that soon the array of such beauty will end, and winter will begin. I also thought about the cycles of life and the comparison of the seasons we experience. Some of us are past autumn, and now we are in the winter of our lives. However, winter has its own beauty as does old age. While the valley has its splendor, the view from the mountain top is often more beautiful. Because of God’s grace and the death of His Son, we know that we are nearer to our home than ever before. Following winter, spring will soon follow with new life springing forth in the vegetative kingdom. The child of God finds comfort in the words of the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 15:50-56, which says: Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does corruption inherit incorruption. Behold, I tell you a mystery: We

The house of God also meets in rented halls, private homes, under a shed, in public buildings and even in the open spaces. However, one asks, “Is not the church building where we meet on Sunday the Lord’s house?” Yes, in the same sense that my house in which my wife and I live is the Lord’s house. It belongs to God who provided it for us. The psalmist declared that “the earth is the Lord’s, and all its fullness, The world and those who dwell therein” (Psalm 24:1 ESV). Yet, did not David say, “I was glad when they said to me, ‘Let us go to the house of the LORD!’” (Psalm 122:1)? Yes, that is true. There was a time when God’s presence could be found above the mercy seat on the ark of the covenant in the Holy of Holies in the tabernacle (sanctuary) that Moses erected (Exodus 25:8, 21, 22). The glory also filled the tabernacle (Exodus 40:34). Later, King Solomon built the temple (house) of the Lord in the city of Jerusalem (1 Kings 6:14). When finished, “the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord” (1 Kings 8:11). In the sermon of the apostle Paul recorded in Acts 17, he declared, “God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands” (v. 24). Yet, God does dwell in His people! You see, the house of God is

Before God brought the 10th plague upon Egypt, that is, the death of the firstborn in every family among the Egyptians, including the animals, He informed Moses that no harm would come to the children of Israel (Exodus 11-12). On the 10th day of the first month of Abib, every man was to take a male lamb of the sheep or goats and keep it until the 14th day when it was to be slain. The men were instructed to take the blood of the animal and put some on the doorposts and the lintel of the house. Instructions were also given as to how they were to prepare the lamb for a meal in each household. Only unleavened bread was to be eaten with the meal. This was the “Lord’s Passover.” The Passover was to be a memorial for Israel throughout its generations. The Lord spoke to Moses, “For I will pass through the land of Egypt on that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast; and against the gods of Egypt I will execute judgment: I am the Lord. Now the blood shall be a sign for you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you; and the plague shall not be on you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13 NKJV). The lamb that was killed was without blemish. The blood that was placed

Sometimes the valleys in life are deep and long, but those are not the times to give up. Blaming God and leaving the Lord is not the answer. Gold refined by fire rids the dross and makes it purer (1 Peter 1:7). I think of this passage in Proverbs 24:10, “If you faint in the day of adversity, Your strength is small” (NKJV). There was a time when many of the disciples of the Lord left Him. “From that time many of His disciples went back and walked with Him no more. Then Jesus said to the twelve, ‘Do you also want to go away?’ But Simon Peter answered Him, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God’” (John 6:66-69). It is in the valleys of life that I especially need Him. He has never forsaken me, and so, why should I forsake Him? He is my Rock and my Salvation. He is my High Tower and my Shelter in the time of the storms. He gives me comfort in the night. His strength is greatly manifested in weakness. I have often requested of Him to bestow His grace upon me so that I might see the sun beyond the overcast and the silver lining behind every cloud. His grace is sufficient for me. A moving verse is found in James 4:6, which is a simple but

“Beware, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief in departing from the living God; but exhort one another daily, while it is called ‘Today,’ lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin” (Hebrews 3:12-13). The inspired writer of the book of Hebrews exhorted his brothers and sisters to remain faithful to God and the Lord Jesus Christ. There was the imminent danger of believers being lured back to the first covenant with all its rituals and animal sacrifices. Their hearts could be hardened if they turned their backs to the “new and living way” (Hebrews 11:20) through Christ. In the original, the word “exhort,” parakaleo, meant to encourage, entreat, to urge and to comfort. Now, as then, we are to encourage our brothers and sisters to be faithful to Christ, and not to be drawn away by the devices of Satan. There are brothers and sisters who are drifting away, and we certainly need to encourage them. James wrote, “Brethren, if anyone among you wanders from the truth, and someone turns him back, let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save a soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5:19-20 NKJV). We should do this while we have the opportunity, that is, as long as it is called today. This exhorting can be done in various ways and anytime by individual Christians. Perhaps a personal visit would be the most

This morning, I held in my hand one boiled egg, and I asked my Beloved, “How many eggs do you see?” She replied, “One.” Then, I asked her what it was on the one egg that I was peeling from the egg, and she replied, “The shell.” I took a bite of the one egg, and I asked this time, “What do you see?” She answered, “The yellow.” I asked her one more time how many eggs she saw before I began to peel the egg, and she replied, “One.” Yet, she identified three parts of the one egg before and after I began to eat the one egg. This is so common to us that we simply accept the ingredients of an egg that God made it that way. One God The Bible clearly states there is one God (Deuteronomy 6:4; Ephesians 4:6)! However, we read in Matthew 3:16 when Jesus was baptized that the “Spirit of God” descended like a dove. Then, the Father said from Heaven, “…This is My Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (NKJV). Here you have God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. There is one God, but also you have “one Lord” and “one Spirit” (Ephesian 4:4-6). While the word “Trinity” is not mentioned in the Bible, it is evident there is one God but three distinct personalities, all having the same essence. Now I can see that an egg is one but has three parts. I

“But as it is written: ‘Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him’” (1 Corinthians 2:9 NKJV). We cannot find this complete sentence in the Old Testament but the expression, “But as it is written” means that the thought is to be found in the Holy Scriptures. We read in Isaiah 64:4, “For since the beginning of the world Men have not heard nor perceived by the ear, Nor has the eye seen any God besides You, who acts for the one who waits for Him.” The apostle Paul took this passage for the basis of his inspired message in 1 Corinthians 2:9. To understand this verse, we must read carefully the context in which it is found. When the apostle Paul came to Corinth, he found that members of the church were following the wisdom of the Greek philosophers. He wanted the Corinthians to know that he was “determined not to know anything among you except Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” Paul’s preaching was with the “demonstration of the Spirit and power” and not the wisdom of men (1 Corinthians 2:4). Notice carefully verses 7-8. “But we impart a secret and hidden wisdom of God, which God decreed before the ages for our glory. None of the rulers of this age understood this, for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” So, the “secret and hidden

The “angel of the Lord” declared to Joseph, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21 NKJV). The apostle Peter, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit, declared, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). There is a beautiful hymn entitled “There’s Something about That Name,” with these meaningful lyrics: “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, There’s just something about that name. Master, Savior, Jesus like the fragrance after the rain; Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Let all Heaven and earth proclaim, Kings and kingdoms will all pass away, But there’s something about that name.” In our secular society, we often speak of politicians and especially do we mention the names of great athletes. Our children learn the names of entertainers, television celebrities and movie stars; however, it is on rare occasions that you hear the precious name of Jesus. There is a possibility that we might be classified as being extremist if we did. We should not be hesitant to speak of Jesus because He gave His life for us on Calvary so we could be saved. The apostle Paul wrote how the Heavenly Father exalted His Son as found in Philippians 2:9-11, which reads, “God also has highly exalted Him, and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every

The last Monday of the month of May is celebrated as Memorial Day each year in the USA. It began with the purpose of decorating the graves of the soldiers who fought in the War Between the States (1861-1864). However, all of our fallen military personnel are remembered on this day. I spoke on one occasion on Memorial Day in the military section of a cemetery in Prattville, Alabama. I had two visual aids in my hands. One was the Purple Heart that was given to my parents after my oldest brother was killed in WWII on April 5, 1945. The other one was a flag that had been placed by my brother’s grave in a military cemetery in the Netherlands. There is a poem written by Rudyard Kipling entitled “Recessional’ (Wikipedia Free Encyclopedia) that I think is very appropriate on this occasion, and here are two stanzas of the poem: God of our fathers, known of old, Lord of our far-flung battleline, Beneath whose awful Hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine – Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest we forget – Lest we forget! The tumult and the shouting dies; The Captains and the kings depart. Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice, And humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of Host, be with us yet, Lest we forget – lest we forget. The following biblical truths should always be taught and practiced – “Lest We Forget.” If we fail to remember God in this

Surely, we all have some knowledge regarding this insect and this fowl – the honeybee and the buzzard. Both have been placed here on this earth for different purposes as designed by the Creator, God Almighty. While their functions are vital, they are radical in contrast. The buzzard is rather despised by the human family. We esteem this bird as being unsightly in appearance and undesirable because of its work, the devouring of dead carcasses. Yet, in the balance of nature, this scavenger has a rightful place in our environment. The honeybee, on the other hand, is well esteemed and respected. While we dislike the sting of such a small insect, we do appreciate the delicious honey that it makes for us. The bee can be seen visiting the beautiful flowers and various blooms in the vegetative kingdom. No wonder the honey that this bee makes is so sweet. Strangely enough, the buzzard and the honeybee remind us of the various attitudes and dispositions found in different people. First of all, some folks enjoy dwelling on the ungodly, the gossip, the hearsay, the ugly, the bad, the filthy, the hurtful and the immoral. They seem to get their kicks over telling or hearing a good piece of juicy slander. The worse it stinks, the better they like it. This old world is filled with individuals who love filthiness. The Bible refers to people who “speak foolishness” and whose “heart will work iniquity” (Isaiah 32:6). Paul wrote of the unrighteous in

“God is the supreme authority and all things are under His control. God is claimed to be the sovereign Lord of all by an incontestable right [as the] creator… owner and possessor of heaven and earth.” This is one concise definition of God’s sovereignty. God is infinite in His power and wisdom. He has the authority to do whatever He chooses. The sovereignty of God is one of the primary themes of the great book of Daniel in the Old Testament. This truth is found in the first five chapters of the Book of Daniel. Daniel 1:1-2 records, “And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his [Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon] hand, with some of the articles of the house of God…” Verse 9 reads, “Now God had brought Daniel into the favor and goodwill of the chief of the eunuchs.” None of these events happened by mere chance, but it was Almighty God working in the lives and the affairs of men for a purpose. This occurs throughout the Book of Daniel. In 2:17-18, we learn that Daniel and his three Jewish friends sought God to reveal to them the disturbing dream that Nebuchadnezzar had and its interpretation. Verse 19 says, “Then the secret was revealed to Daniel in a night vision. So Daniel blessed the God of heaven.” In verses 20-23, Daniel, in his praise to God, mentioned that God “changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and raises up kings…” In 2:28-29, Daniel, in

A scribe asked the Lord, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Jesus answered him, “The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one, And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-31 NKJV) The “first,” foremost, chief and greatest commandment is for a person to love God with all of one’s being. This is the vertical relationship that mankind can have with Almighty God. This is the most important commitment that a person can ever make. The second commandment, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” is horizontal; it is our relationship with our neighbor. The fulfillment of the second command is predicated upon one being in submission to the first commandment. The apostle John wrote, “And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also” (John 4:21). John also wrote, “If someone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen?” (1 John 4:20). As you can plainly see, these commandments are bound closely together. Now, if this is true regarding our brother and sister

In the closing remarks of the second epistle that the apostle Paul wrote to the “church of the Thessalonians in God our Father the Lord Jesus Christ,” he wrote, “Now may the Lord of peace Himself give you peace always in every way. The Lord be with you all” (2 Thessalonians 3:16). In all of the trials, tribulations, disappointments and struggles in this life, children of God can find peace in our Savior Jesus Christ who is the “Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Edward J. Bickersteth was on vacation in Harrogate, England, and on one Sunday in August, 1875, he listened to a sermon by Canon Gibbon that was based on Isaiah 26:3. It reads, “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on Thee.” He was greatly impressed by the thoughts presented on this text. It was then that he took a piece of paper and began to write a poem that would become the moving and beautiful hymn, “Peace, Perfect Peace.” In this hymn, you will observe that in each stanza there is a challenge or a struggle presented for the believer. Then, for each struggle, the author provides spiritual answers in the second half of each stanza. Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?To do the will of Jesus — this is rest.Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?On Jesus’ bosom naught but calm is found.Peace, perfect peace, with loved

There is a religious song that is often sung by different quartets, groups and individuals, emphasizing how that one’s life has been changed by Calvary, noting the death of Jesus Christ Who died on the cross for the sins of the world. Regardless of how a person lived previously, when he or she believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, is penitent of sins and obeys the Gospel of Christ, his or her sins are forgiven and forgotten (Acts 2:38; 22:16; Hebrews 8:12). Mankind is not so merciful and forgiving. Recently, I read about “Boeing’s communications chief who was forced to resign because of an article he wrote criticizing women in combat in 1987 –  more than 30 years ago – when he was a Navy fighter pilot.” The gentleman explained he no longer held the same views about women serving in the armed services as he did when he was a young man. Nevertheless, he was forced to resign his position with the company. This is a prime example of the extremes we now witness in our nation. What if God treated mankind in like fashion as those responsible for pressuring this person to resign from his work with Boeing? Consider the following men who said or did something that was not in harmony with the will of God, and yet, the Lord forgave them and used them in His kingdom. Abraham, the ‘father of the faithful,’ was not perfect. In two incidents, he intended to deceive

Our world has been turned upside down because of the Corona virus. None of us has ever experienced what is now occurring in our lifetime and in our country. Perhaps it has caused us to consider what we really need in this life rather than just what we want. There is definitely a need for food to sustain life. Because of health problems, there is a need for many to see a doctor while others may need to be hospitalized. Grandparents truly need to hug their grandchildren. Students need to be in school. There is a great need for family members who are separated to be together again. There is a great need for an owner to open his or her business soon! There are people who need to go back to work. There are multitudes of family members who need to see their loved ones who are in hospitals and nursing homes! There are individuals who are in an emergency room, an intensive care unit or in a hospital room who are in critical condition, who desperately need loved ones to hold their hands and express words of comfort and love to them. There are Christians who have a great need to assemble with their brothers and sisters in Christ to worship Almighty God and Jesus Christ. During this crisis, we should all realize that we really don’t have control over what a tomorrow may bring in this life. In the epistle of James, we read, “Come now, you who say,

It is early in the morning and the silence is deafening! The house is too quiet. There is hardly any noise in my neighborhood. I miss hearing the school buses that are normally picking up children; and there is not any traffic on the nearby street that leads to the high school! This is my quiet time for prayer and study, but it is just too quiet! Simon and Garfunkel sang the song, “The Sound of Silence,” which has remained one of the most popular songs over the decades. It was based on the biblical passage, I am sure, found in Ecclesiastes 3:7, “A time to keep silence; A time to speak.” Yet, there is a verse of Scripture found in Habakkuk 2:20 that is profound and needs to be understood in its immediate context. The writer was contrasting the reality of a living God with idols made of wood and silver, which are lifeless and cannot speak. In verses 20, 34 we read, “But the LORD is in his holy temple; let all the earth keep silence before him” (ESV). In the Old Testament the Temple in Jerusalem was where the presence of God could be found. However, the apostle Paul said, as recorded in Acts 17:24, that the Lord “does not dwell in temples made with hands.” Paul also said that God “is not far from each one of us!” (Acts 17:27). In Psalm 139, we learn there is no place we can be but that God is there! While

There is the beautiful, thoughtful, contemplative and comforting song, “Under His Wings,” that brings solace and strength to the soul of the believer. Here is the first stanza, along with the chorus. Under His wings I am safely abiding;Though the night deepens and tempests are wild,Still I can trust Him, I know He will keep me;He has redeemed me, and I am His child.Under His wings, under His wings,Who from His love can sever?Under His wings my soul shall abide,Safely abide forever. No doubt, the lyrics of this hymn were based on some of the Scriptures as found in the Book of Psalms. In Psalm 91:1-6, we read, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’ Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler And from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, And under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler. You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, Nor of the arrow that flies by day, Nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, Nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.” There are two perils that are mentioned in this passage, but the one that I want to emphasize is “perilous pestilence.” The brief definition of “perilous” is “full of

A few years ago, I heard the late beloved Franklin Camp deliver a moving sermon as one of the speakers on the Faulkner University Lectureship. I believe the theme of the lectureship that year was, “Blessed Assurance.” Brother Camp was referring to various passages of Scripture that had sustained him over the years. He also related that in the month of May, l981, he learned that he had to have open-heart surgery. He said that he had to wait twelve days before he could have surgery. While lying on a hospital bed for that length of time, he admitted that he was afraid, realizing the seriousness of the kind of surgery. He then thought of Psalms 56 that was written by David during a very trying time in his life. David had to flee from the presence of Saul who sought to kill him, and he also had to deal with the Philistines who wanted him dead. In this particular psalm, David was seeking the help of God to deliver him from those who sought his life. In verses 3 and 4, David wrote, “Whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You. In God (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not fear. What can flesh do to me?” Again, in verses 10 and 11 it reads, “In God (I will praise His word), In the Lord (I will praise His word), In God I have put my trust; I will not

I had written an article, “20/20 Vision,” based on what the apostle Paul said to the elders of the church in Ephesus as found in Acts 20:20, which reads, “how I kept back nothing that was helpful, but proclaimed it to you, and taught you publicly and from house to house.” I sent the article to several individuals and congregations for people to read. There were three congregations that used the article in their church bulletins. Of course, I was pleased because the intent of the article was to encourage Christians to do more personal evangelism while having the Gospel preached from the pulpit in the worship assemblies. To encourage us all to take advantage of the opportunities that are available to us, I wrote the following: “We desperately need some ‘eye slave’ to anoint our eyes that we may see the fields ‘that are white already unto harvest’“ (Revelation 3:18; John 4:35). He whose eyes are as “a flame of fire” (Revelation 1:14) has written us a prescription that will give us 20/20 vision. The article, “20/20,” had been read several times by the author and others. If those to whom I sent the article found the mistake, they did not mentioned it to me, that is, until a close friend told me, when reading the article, he discovered I had placed an “l” before the letter “a” in “eye salve” as found in Revelation 3:18. Because we had read Revelation 3:18, when we came to the word “slave,”

The great leader Moses died, and the Lord God chose the faithful warrior Joshua to be the leader of the children of Israel. They were encamped on the east side of the Jordan River, and the time had come for them to cross over it into the land of “milk and honey,” the land of Canaan. God had assured Joshua several times that He would be with him as he was about to enter the promised land (Joshua 1:6-9). In Joshua 3, the priests carrying the ark of the covenant were to lead the people across the Jordan River and into the land that God had promised to Abraham (Genesis 12:1-3). Joshua, in charging the people to follow the priests at a certain distance, said this to the people, “For you have not passed this way before.” The children of Israel were about to enter a land they did not know. As we enter the new year, it could also be said of us, “For you have not passed this way before.” We do not know what this new year will bring. It might be joy or woe, happiness or sadness, life or death, success or failure, etc. For the child of God, we should read what God said to Joshua and know that basically He tells us the same: “Be strong and of good courage,” “Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord you God is with you wherever you go” (Joshua

We hear a great deal today about being liberated from various things such as moral standards, authorities and various relationships. People are desirous of freedom, for better or for worse. Wars have been fought to free people from tyranny, slavery and oppression. Movements are begun to seek release from anything and everything that might restrain people too much. Even among religious circles, there are organizations and individuals that seek to rid themselves of any absolute and objective authority such as the Bible. We are also aware of movements among worldly minded people to reject any and all rules of moral and ethical standards. Thus, you have such philosophies as ‘Situation Ethics,’ ‘Existentialism’ and ‘The New Morality’ to illustrate the point. However, we speak presently of true liberation and the true ‘Liberator,’ Jesus Christ, who came to liberate (to set free, release) men and women from that terrible ‘master’ (Satan) and bondage (sin). The world has never known freedom, happiness and peace of mind as can be had and enjoyed in the Lord Jesus Christ. Mankind has sought freedom in earthly pleasures, doctrines of men and worldly wisdom; however, this type of seeking has been in vain. The Master Teacher and Freedom Fighter exclaimed to a group of Jews on one occasion that, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:31-32). Thus, the agency of release from the fetters of sin, sorrow, doubt,

In an effort to understand a passage of Scripture, two questions among others should be considered, namely, “Who is the speaker?” and “To whom is he speaking?” This will contribute greatly to the right exegesis of a passage of Scripture. We have no problem in understanding that it was God who was speaking to Noah instructing him to build an ark (Genesis 6). It was Abraham that God directed to offer up his son Isaac upon an altar (Genesis 22), and it was the rich young ruler that Jesus required to sell all that he had and give to the poor (Mark 10). This principle would be true in the study of the epistles that men who were inspired by the Holy Spirit wrote to various congregations and individuals. Some of the most misunderstood passages in the New Testament regarding the Holy Spirit are found in the Gospel according to John (chapters 14-16). It is plain to see that the setting of these particular chapters in John is the occasion when Jesus was eating the Passover Supper with His twelve apostles (Matthew 26:20; Mark 14:17; Luke 22:14). So, Jesus was the Speaker and the twelve apostles were the ones whom Jesus was addressing when He spoke of the promise of another Comforter, who would be sent to help and assist them in the preaching of the Truth after His departure. Religious leaders of various denominations often apply what Jesus said to the apostles about the Holy Spirit to all believers

“Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefit…” (Psalm 103:1-2). For whatever reason that David had experienced in his life, he was moved to write this beautiful Psalm (of course, guided by the Holy Spirit). His heart was overflowing with the need of blessing the Lord for all that God had done for him. Should we not possess the same kind of heart as David? Consider all that the Lord has done for us physically and especially spiritually. All the perfect and good gifts come from God (James 1:18). His Son, Jesus Christ, died for us on Calvary’s cross so that we could be forgiven by His precious blood (John 3:16; Ephesians 1:7). I want to encourage our brethren who lead our minds in prayers during our worship assemblies to include expressions of praise and gratitude for all that God has done and is doing for us. It is sad to note there are times when prayers are led wherein brethren fail to express thanks for God’s grace, mercy, love, lovingkindness and His longsuffering. How can this be? Petitions, supplications and intercessions are expressed; however, there is a great need of our expressions of gratitude (1 Timothy 2:1; Philippians 4:6) in our prayers! Let us “enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name, For the Lord is good;

The pink roses on our white picket fence this spring have been absolutely beautiful! However, they are now losing their color and are slowly fading into a pale white shade that denotes they are dying. I have walked near them and around them several times, enjoying their radiant color. It seems that this year, perhaps, because of my age, I am very sorry to watch the blooms fall from the vines. There is a song that can be found in some of the old hymnals that we used to sing years ago, “Where the Roses Never Fade.” Here is the first stanza: “I am going to a city where the streets with gold are laid, Where the tree of life is blooming, And the roses never fade.” Now, the chorus reads, “Here they bloom for a season, So their beauty is decayed; I am going to a city Where the roses never fade.” Of course, we know that there will not be literal roses in Heaven; however, we can understand one lesson to be learned in this song. Like the roses, we bloom for a season, and eventually, we all will fade away. In 1 Peter 1:24-25, we read, “All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever.” In Psalm 90, the author wrote of the brevity of man’s life on this earth, recording, “You carry

The Bible is replete with the names of persons who found favor in the sight of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. Following are just a few names. We read in Genesis 5:23-24 that Enoch “walked with God; and he was not, for God took him.” Elijah “went up by a whirlwind into heaven” (2 Kings 2:11). Thus, these two men of God did not die as Hebrews 9:27 states death comes to all men. Abraham trusted in God inasmuch he was willing to sacrifice his son Isaac (Genesis 22:1-18). The writer of the Book of Hebrews (11:17) and James in his epistle (2:21) declared that in God’s sight, he did offer up his son. Abraham was truly a “friend of God” (2:23). God told the prophet Jeremiah, “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; Before you were born I sanctified you; I ordained you a prophet to the nations” (Jeremiah 1:5). The angel announced that Mary, who “was betrothed to Joseph,” would “bring forth a Son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:20, 21). The apostle John, was, without doubt, “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 13:23; 19:26). It is written that “Jesus loved Martha and her sister [Mary] and Lazarus” (John 11:5, 36). There were five men mentioned in the Old Testament who had endeared themselves to God. They were Moses, Samuel (Jeremiah 15:1), Noah, Daniel and Job (Ezekiel 14:14, 16, 18-19). The Lord

My cardiologist had finished examining me during my annual checkup. He then said, “I will see you next year.” I was thankful that my heart seemed to be in good shape. When I entered the hall, I saw several of the ladies who worked in the building, and I said to them, “He said that he would see me next year, but he did not give me a guarantee.” It was then that my doctor walked up behind me, placed his arm around me and said, “You are a God man; has God ever given you a guarantee?” Though my cardiologist is very religious, he is not a Christian. However, since 2001 when he put a stent in a 95 percent blocked artery that was across my heart, he has known that I am a Gospel preacher. That is why he called me a “God man.” I replied that God has not promised me another year to live (James 4:13-14). Yet, God has given to me, as well as to all Christians who endeavor to live faithfully, several guarantees. I have chosen only a few guarantees from God that are mentioned in the inspired writings of the apostle John.

The expression, “He will have to stand on his own two feet” is one that has been around for a long time. While the exact words are not found in the Bible, the thought can be found in the words of Paul in Galatians 6:5. “For each man shall bear his own burden.” In short, there are some things that others cannot do for us. We have often watched a small child making every effort to take the first few steps in the process of learning how to walk. Then, there is the young man who has taken to himself a new bride with all the responsibilities. Also, an inexperienced person is placed in a position for the first time that demands making decisions constantly. We can help the child keep his balance, give advice to the newlywed and render assistance to the person having to make so many important decisions. However, there comes a time when each person will have to stand on his own two feet. In Christianity, the principle is certainly true as Paul stated in Galatians 6:2, “Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.” When a brother’s load becomes too heavy for him to carry, we are to lend a helping hand. Young Christians need special attention as they “grow in the grace and knowledge” of Christ (1 Peter 2:2; 2 Peter 3:18). Also, “we that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak…” (Romans 15:1). However, there comes

This is a profound statement made by the inspired writer of Ecclesiastes 9:5. We know that death is inevitable. In Hebrews 9:27 we read, “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” No doubt, millions viewed the funeral services of the late George H.W. Bush, our 41st President. Surely, many were moved emotionally, especially with the eulogy given by his son, George W. Bush, the former 43rd President. While the average lifespan of the Presidents of the United States has been approximately 71 years, President Bush lived to be 94-years-old. He lived a full life of service for his country, but he had one thing in common with all of mankind—he died. In this life, men are often separated from each other due to such factors as race, economics, social and educational status, but there is a common denominator which unites all men, and that is the grim reaper called death. Death is no respecter of persons. It matters not whether one is young or old, rich or poor, a king or a peasant, popular or unpopular; death eventually comes to every man and woman. Moses, in referring to the rebellious Israelites, stated, “If these men die naturally like all men, or if they are visited by the common fate of all, then the Lord has not sent me.” In this verse Moses alluded to what is common to all men—death. Even men who lived in the infancy of the human race and

The following are questions in the New Testament regarding the conversion of the biblical character Saul, who was a persecutor of the “Way” (Acts 22:4). Turn to the basic texts in the Book of Acts pertaining to Saul of Tarsus. Read the verses without my input about those Scriptures. You can read for yourself what the writer Luke (Acts 1:1; Luke 1:1-4) wrote as he was guided by the Holy Spirit. Here are the passages: Acts 9:1-19; 22:1-16; 26:1:26. The question may be asked, “Did Saul, in fact, obey this command (cf., Romans 6:1-4)?” Please notice the plural pronouns “us” and “we,” which would include Paul (Saul of Tarsus) who wrote the Book of Romans (1:1). Oh, I have not dealt with the question that is the title of this article, “What color was Saul’s horse?” You know, that is a very interesting question. I have seen pictures and videos of Saul riding a horse on the way from Jerusalem to Damascus. However, would you believe, there is no passage of Scripture that informs us he was even riding a horse? Study God’s Holy Word and believe what it teaches and disregard fanciful additions or alterations of Scripture.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” These are the words of the “Prince of Peace,” Jesus Christ, as found in Matthew 5:9. This beatitude is somewhat different from the rest, such as those who are “poor in spirit,” “those who mourn,” “the meek,” “those who hunger and thirst after righteousness” and “the merciful.” The reason being, the expression, “the peacemakers,” implies an action on the part of the disciples. It is an adjective signifying peace-making. The “peacemaker” is to give “diligence to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesian 4:3). The “peacemaker” has to have “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding” (Philippians 4:7) in his heart. Paul wrote in Romans 5:1-2, “Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” We are not only to be peaceful, we are to be peacemakers. Abraham Lincoln said, “Die when I may, I want it said of me by those who knew me best, that I always plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower would grow.” Today, we need more people who will proverbially plant flowers and pull up the weeds. There is a great need in our world to have more peacemakers instead of peace-breakers! The Lord knows we have too many

The apostle Paul was in a Roman prison when he wrote the letter of Second Timothy to his “son in the faith,” Timothy. This is the last recorded letter Paul ever wrote. In 2 Timothy 4:9, 21, there are two statements made by Paul that greatly encouraged the younger evangelist to make every effort possible to come see him before it was too late. Paul wrote, “be diligent to come to me quickly” (v. 9) and “Do your utmost to come before winter…” (v. 12). There are two reasons implied in these statements for Timothy to make every effort to go to Paul as soon as possible. One is that winter would not be the time to travel by boat. The wintry storms made it very dangerous to travel on the seas. Paul had experienced shipwreck during that season of the year (Acts 27). No doubt, the most important reason for Timothy to make haste to come to him as quickly as possible is found in the words of Paul in verses 6-8. “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand.” Should Timothy tarry too long, it would be too late to see Paul alive for his “departure” was at hand, that, his death was imminent. In life, there are words we need to express and actions we should take before it is too late, that is, we should do them before “winter” comes. Husbands and wives should

I remember well these words spoken by a wise and knowledgeable teacher of mine when I was in college. Brother Rex A Turner, Sr. had many ‘sayings,’ but this is the one I want to emphasize presently. I have lived long enough (83 years) to know factually and by experience that this is true in our society today. He also said that a man needs a “Balance Wheel,” which we sorely need today. We are people of extremism. This is so evident today in the political world. Seemingly, there is no middle ground for some of our elected officials and in society in general. It is truly sad to witness the prejudice, bigotry and hatred manifested in our country. You can find such attitudes in people of different races and ethnic backgrounds. When you watch the news on television or read the newspapers, you can be assured the actions of such extreme attitudes of various individuals and groups are reported. I am reminded of the opening sentence in the book, A Tale of Two Cities (1857), written by Charles Dickens. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were

The physical act of kneeling is normally associated with an attitude of humility and a submissive will of the individual doing the kneeling. Normally, it is not done in protest. Often a person will kneel and pray, asking God to heal his loved one who is critically ill. We have seen a grieving widow kneeling beside the flag covered casket containing the body of her husband who was killed during combat. Luke records in Acts 20:36 and in Acts 21:5 that the apostle Paul “knelt down and prayed” before he left his brothers and sisters in Christ and continued on his journey to Jerusalem. It must have been a very emotional scene as men, perhaps weeping, thought that they would not see the apostle again. Bible students are acutely aware of Stephen, the first martyr for Christ (Acts 7). He was being stoned to death by those people who were opposed to the truth he was preaching. The last words recorded by Luke that Stephen uttered appears in Acts 7:60. It reads, “Then he knelt down and cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord do not charge them with this sin,’ And when he had said this, he fell asleep.” How merciful and forgiving was this servant of God, while kneeling, knowing his death was imminent! Jesus Christ, while in the Garden of Gethsemane, “knelt down and prayed.” Our Lord was a humble servant of His Father and He prayed, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away

The apostle Paul gave directives to “put off” the “old man,” that is one’s former way of life, and to “put on the new man which was created according to God in true righteousness and holiness.” He continued to list certain sins that should not be descriptive of the life of a Christian (Ephesians 4:22-31). Paul concluded this section of his letter to the Ephesian brethren by giving them this positive exhortation: “And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you” (Ephesians 4:32). It is the word “kind” that I want to emphasize presently. It is an adjective that describes the heart and action of a devoted Christian. Paul stated that “love is kind” (1 Corinthians 13:4). In 2 Peter 1:7, we are admonished in our Christian growth to add faith, virtue, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness and “to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” In Galatians 5:22, we read that “kindness” is one part of the “fruit of the Spirit.” The apostle Paul, in Colossians 3:12, instructed Christians to “put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience.” Albert Barnes, in his Barnes Notes on the Bible, commented on the word “kind” as found in Ephesians 4:32. There is no religion in a sour, misanthropic temper; none in rudeness, stiffness, and repulsiveness; none in violating the rules of good breeding. There is a hollow-hearted politeness, indeed, which the Christian is not to aim

There are two kinds of invitations to special events; one is very specific, that is, only a select group of people, normally family and friends, are invited to attend a gathering. Then, there is the general invitation to all who would be interested in attending a special occasion. An example would be an invitation placed in a church bulletin, inviting all to attend a wedding ceremony. In this brief article, I want to mention only three invitations offered by God. The first one is found in Isaiah 1:18. However, you should read the first 17 verses of this chapter to understand the background of this gracious invitation by our Heavenly Father. His people had forgotten Him; they were hypocritical; God rejected their worship because their hands were full of blood, just to name a few of their sins. Yet, God, in His mercy and longsuffering, offered this invitation to His sinful people: “‘Come now, and let us reason together,’ Says the Lord, ‘Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool’” (v. 18). Please observe it was God who made the first move in this matter of preserving Judah and saving His people. God promised them that if they would be obedient, He would bless them (v. 19). God gave man the ability to make choices, whether to respond in a positive or in a negative manner. The second invitation I have chosen to mention

Now, think with me. If there is no Hell, then I cannot believe in the Bible because Hell is mentioned in the Holy Scriptures as being a real place. Further, if the Bible is not reliable, God did not create the heavens and the earth as claimed in Genesis One. Neither can I believe in God even though the Bible states that “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). Additionally, I cannot believe in the Holy Spirit regardless of what the apostle Peter wrote, “knowing this first, that no prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit” (2 Peter 1:20-21). Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 2:10-12 that what he had received and had spoken was from the “Holy Spirit.” Again, if there is not a place called Hell, how can I believe in the one who mentioned Hell more than any person in the Bible? Did you know that the word “hell” (Greek, Gehenna) is found 12 times in the New Testament? In the Book of James, we read that the “tongue is set on fire by hell” (3:6). Eleven times you will find the word “Hell” mentioned in the books of Matthew, Mark and Luke. You will find expressions like “hell fire” (Matthew 5:22), “eternal fire” (Matthew 18:8) and “son of hell” (Matthew 23:15). Do you know who used the word “Hell” in

There He was, God the Son, incarnate in human flesh, nailed to Calvary’s cross. Jesus Christ was dying for all of mankind “by the grace of God” (Hebrews 2:9). He had been hanging on that rugged cross almost six hours. While He was on the cross He spoke seven times. Of the seven sayings of Jesus Christ, the shortest was, “I thirst” (John 19:28). Surely His words indicated the intense suffering He was enduring on that “tree” (Acts 10:39; Galatians 3:13). A Roman soldier gave Him a mixture of sour wine (wine that had passed its time and had turned into vinegar) and well water. Our Lord Jesus Christ created the “waters” in the beginning (Genesis 1), and yet, there he was saying, “I thirst.” He also created the trees, from which wood was used to make the cross on which He hung as He was suspended between heaven and earth. Also, He had created the material for the hammer or mallet being used by the Roman soldier to drive the nails into His hands and feet, as well as the spear used by the Roman soldier that pierced His side. Even the soldier was a descendant of the man and woman who God formed/made in the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2). Jesus Christ could have called down “more than twelve legions of angels” (Matthew 26:53) to rescue Him from that cross, “but He died alone for you and me.” You may ask, “How was Jesus involved in the creation

Recently I received a questionnaire from the investment company where I have my IRA. One section dealt with “Investment Time Horizon.” In other words, how many more years do I plan to live and invest in my IRA. The choices ranged from “0-2 years” to “more than 20 years.” First of all, I have not invested any monies in my IRA in several years. I have been doing the opposite. I have been receiving the much-needed funds to supplement my Social Security income. Well, I am approaching my 82nd birthday, the Lord willing, in the month of May. So, how many years should I select, if I plan to do any investing in my IRA? By God’s grace, providence and “by reason of strength,” I have surpassed the “four score years” mentioned in Psalm 90:10. My cardiologist, at my last checkup, said, “I will see you next year.” Yet, he did not give me a guarantee when I asked him if he would. He then said, “Has God ever given you a guarantee?” When you consider the facts, as found in the Word of God, you know that death is no respecter of persons. “The living know that they shall die” (Ecclesiastes 9:5). “It is appointed for men to die once” (Hebrews 9:27). Life “is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away” (James 4:14). Furthermore, death is no respecter of age. During the month of February, 2017, two young men of my acquaintance died

The late country singer George Jones recorded the song, “Choices,” which sounds like a confession regarding the bad choices he made in his life, with which he was “living and dying.” The Lord God made man to be a free moral agent; that is, he possesses the ability to make choices in life, either good or bad. That has been true since the time Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. Before his death, Moses, the great leader of the children of Israel, informed the people of the following. “And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that you are entering to take possession of it, you shall set the blessing on Mount Gerizim and the curse on Mount Ebal” (Deuteronomy 11:29). God did lead them to the mountains: Mount Gerizim was the mountain of ‘blessing’ and Mount Ebal was the mountain of ‘curse.’ Moses commanded six leaders from six tribes to stand on Mount Gerizim to pronounce the blessings that would come upon the people if they obeyed the commandments of God. He also commanded six leaders from six tribes to stand on Mount Ebal to pronounce the curses that would come upon the people if they disobeyed the commandments of God (Deuteronomy 27:11-28:68). In Deuteronomy 30:15, 19, Moses said, “See, I have set before you today life and good, death and evil.” “I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life,

It was over the Christmas holidays that our oldest son approached me about what arrangements his mother and I had made in case one of us needed ‘long term care’ due to a stroke or some other sickness that possibly could cripple us. Now that question caused some serious thinking on my part. It is something that we really don’t like to consider since we are still in relatively good health. Yet, our age is showing. After all, my wife and I will be 78-years-old our next birthday anniversaries. I think sometimes I am a 25-year-old man locked in this 78-year-old body. I don’t feel this old but I am. Aging parents can really be a major problem for caring children, but ‘long term care’ is so expensive. People have lost their homes, property and savings when in need of ‘long time care.’ I knew of a Christian couple who was in the same nursing home, and a relative of theirs stated the cost was $12,000 per month! I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Oh, I know that Medicare will pay some, but one still must give up practically all earthly possessions in the process of covering the expenses for ‘long term care.’ There are ‘long term care’ policies that can be purchased from various insurance companies for a price, and if you can afford it, that can be a wise choice. While my wife and I do not have one of those policies, we do have another ‘long

How often we have heard the statement from a brother in Christ, “The church isn’t doing anything”? It is true that we often fail in fulfilling the many obligations that God has given to us. Yet, there are some pertinent observations that need to be made relative to such a broad statement. First of all, we could say that the brother who makes such an accusation has taken to himself some of the attributes that are considered belonging only to God. In Psalms 139, we learn that God is omnipresent and omniscient. Thus, for a brother to be absolutely correct in saying that “The church isn’t doing anything,” he would have to possess all the knowledge of what all the brethren may or may not be doing. Otherwise, where he could not be and what he could not know, some brethren could be doing some work for the Lord. It is humanly impossible for a mortal man to have a complete knowledge of every good deed done by Christians. One may not know of a marriage saved because an elder or a preacher counseled a husband and a wife privately. Few may be aware of activities by fellow Christians, such as, a letter of encouragement written to a friend, a family providing transportation to worship for an elderly person, a sister caring for a loved one who is an invalid, members visiting those who are shut-ins or sick, a young person carrying a gift to an aged Christian, another young

We are often overwhelmed with the adversities in life that are very difficult to accept and hard to understand. At such a moment, it seems that all is loss, that life is not worth living and that our sorrow is too much to bear. No doubt, Job felt this way when he experienced the tragedies in his life. The problem is with our perception of matters. We deal more with the immediate and not the overall view of life. That which is seemingly against us at the present may, in fact, work out for our good. The Psalmist declared, “Before I was afflicted I went astray; But now I observe thy word.” Again he wrote, “It is good for me that I have been afflicted; That I may learn thy statutes” (Psalms 119:67, 71). The Psalmist had lived long enough beyond his traumatic experiences to grasp the significance of his sorrows. Not all men are able to perceive the silver lining amidst the clouds of despair. As finite beings, we are so limited in our knowledge, and we often fail to grasp the ultimate reasons for our conflicts and sorrows in life. In contrast, the infinite Heavenly Father, who is from everlasting to everlasting, is able to see the panoramic scene, and in His great providence, He is powerful enough to ultimately work out everything for our eternal welfare (Romans 8:28). It is a real challenge to our faith in God to seek the lessons to be learned from our

“In that day a fountain shall be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1). The prophet Zechariah, inspired by the Holy Spirit, penned these words approximately five hundred years before the coming of Jesus Christ. Because of the immediate context containing prophecies regarding Jesus Christ before and during His crucifixion, we understand that this passage pertains to His death. In Zechariah 9:9, the writer mentioned that “Your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey” (NKJV). This was fulfilled according to Matthew 21:4-5. In Zechariah 12:10, we read, “And I will pour on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem the Spirit of grace and supplication; then they will look on Me whom they pierced. Yes, they will mourn for Him as one mourns for his only son, and grieve for Him as one grieves for a firstborn.” This prophecy was fulfilled according to John 19:37. Again, we find another prophecy regarding Christ in Zechariah 13:7, “…Strike the Shepherd, And the sheep will be scattered.” The fulfillment of this prophecy is recorded in Matthew 26:31. The location of the “fountain” in Zechariah 13:1 was to be in Jerusalem. A fountain is a source of fresh water that gushes forth for thirsty souls. However this “fountain” refers to that which flowed from the side of our Savior while He hung

Isaiah prophesied, “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulders: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace“ (9:6). The Bible informs us that Jesus, the “Prince of Peace,” was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2:1). When He was born, an angel and a multitude of the heavenly host praised God by saying, “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men in whom he is well pleased” (Luke 2:14 ASV). However, we know that practically all the news we are receiving from that part of the world where the Lord was born is wholly negative because it centers on the carnal warfare being waged between the Israelis and the Palestinians. On one occasion, some of the Palestinians were holed up in the Church of the Nativity, a site where it is claimed that Jesus was born. How is it that God sent forth His Son, Jesus Christ, the “Prince of Peace” and such discord and killings are taking place right in the area where He was born of the virgin Mary? Did not the heavenly host praise God and speak of peace among men? I believe that the key regarding peace is found in the expression as translated in the American Standard Version when it reads, “in whom he is well pleased.” In other words, true peace is only to be experienced and enjoyed by

One of the frustrations experienced by preachers is knowing that the Gospel has been taught, and yet, there have been no responses of obedience by the hearers. This may occur when sinners refuse to obey the Gospel of Christ or when members of the church fail to comply with the teaching of Christ to mature in the faith. There can also be puzzlement in the teacher’s heart when one family obeys and another family rejects the same teaching, while being instructed privately in their homes. The same Gospel is being taught, but it results in different responses. It is easy to become discouraged, blaming oneself for the failure to convert all the people being taught the way of salvation. We must understand and come to realize that not all who hear will believe and obey the Gospel. The hearer has a responsibility in the process of conversion. This principle is clearly taught in the Parable of the Soils presented by our Lord and recorded in Matthew 13:1-23. In the usage of the words of Isaiah, Jesus mentioned that there were those who would hear but not understand. The apostle Paul referred to this prophecy of Isaiah on various occasions in his work when the Jews would not respond to the teaching of this inspired man (Acts 28:25-29; Romans 10:16-21). While it is true that faith is produced by the hearing of the Word of God (Romans 10:17), there are times when the Gospel is heard but obedience to Christ is

We who are older remember well the Beatles. One of the popular songs they sang over 40 years ago was “Yellow Submarine.” Well, this article is not about a yellow submarine, but about a big yellow school bus, in fact, a couple of yellow school buses that come into our neighborhood every school morning. I see our neighborhood children congregating together waiting for the bus to come pick them up. In the afternoon those same buses come again into our subdivision to deposit those precious children at various spots along the way. How wonderful that the children have opportunity to be educated so that they can contribute to our society in various ways. There was a time in my parent’s generation that many boys and girls did not have the opportunity to obtain a high school education. Farm children were often kept out of school to work in order to provide food for the family. In contrast to the school days when the buses run through our neighborhood, it is quite a different sight on Sundays. I see very few automobiles coming by the house with families on their way to Bible classes anywhere. I wonder what percentage of school children attends Bible classes on Sunday at any religious organization. It probably would be discouraging to learn that most children are not taken by their parents to Sunday school. You see, many parents are too involved in the cares of this life to provide an education in the Word of

When I was a lad, I often saw men pour coffee from their cups into their saucers. The reason being was to permit the coffee to cool because it was boiling hot. I can almost hear them slurping the coffee from their saucers. However, the title of this article is based on a religious song that emphasizes the goodness of God. I feel sure that the thought for the song was found in Psalm 23:5 when David wrote, “My cup runs over.” There is an outstanding statement made by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 3:21, “Whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours.” The fact is, you have been made richer than you have ever imagined. I am not necessarily thinking about the physical or the material blessings of life, even though we are recipients of a multitude of blessings from our Heavenly Father (James 1:17). However, if you have given your life in full submission to the will of God and the Lord Jesus Christ as a penitent baptized believer, you are rich toward God. A child of God is “rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom” (James 2:5). Jesus said “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). We have been made “alive together with Christ” (Ephesians 2:5). We are a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5, 9). Jesus

Many mothers have stated that while their sons were in prison for murder, “I hate what my son has done but I still love him.” A broken-hearted wife has found out that her husband has violated their wedding vows by committing adultery. She is overwhelmed with grief and disappointment, but she wants to save their marriage and expresses her feelings, “because I still love him.” A son is sent to prison for selling cocaine and will be incarcerated for several years. His father hates what his son has done, but down deep in his father’s heart there remains a love for his wayward son, and he will give him moral support. No doubt, there are Christian parents who may have a son or a daughter living with a member of the opposite sex without being married. The parents know the Word of God considers such an arrangement as being the sin of “fornication” and described in the book of Galatians to be one of “the works of the flesh.” Further, they “who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Galatians 5:19-21). Don’t you know those parents still love their son or daughter and at the same time hate that sinful relationship? There are Christians parents who have sons and daughters who are homosexuals or lesbians who are actively engaged in such a lifestyle. Do not these parents love their children while hating that sinful way of living? Why, of course they do! It is my conviction that

While in a conversation with a brother in Christ, we discussed the subject of pioneer Gospel preachers. This brother was hypercritical of a detailed study of the lives of such men as Alexander Campbell, Barton W. Stone, John Smith and others. This brother exclaimed, “I could care less what Raccoon John Smith did.” To that I replied, “You probably don’t care for the history of the Restoration Movement.” He agreed with my assertion. Since the time of our discussion, I have pondered over the statement “I could care less” with reference to our rich heritage, religiously speaking. In making such a statement, this brother exemplified an attitude that is so prevalent among many members of the church today. First of all, there is a lack of gratitude for those who have gone before us. Even in secular history, we have learned to appreciate such men as George Washington, Patrick Henry, Abraham Lincoln and scores of others who were instrumental in the forming of our nation. Should we think less of our forefathers who sacrificed for the cause of Christ? Certainly, we should be thankful for our laws that provide for us liberties and freedoms in our great country. More than these, we should be eager to learn of those men and women who gave of themselves in order that we might learn of the freedom that is in Christ Jesus. Such awareness of the pioneer preachers can motivate us to be more faithful to our Lord. Second, such a negative

Who was the wretched, miserable, pitiable, unhappy man in Romans 7:24? Was he Saul the unregenerated Pharisee or the redeemed Paul the apostle? The apostle Paul wrote in Romans 6 concerning a person who had become a disciple of the Lord. By using the personal pronoun, he included himself in the following: In Romans 7, Paul spoke of the followers of the Lord as being delivered from the Law of Moses in this manner: The apostle continued in Chapter 8 to describe the life of a Christian who is led by the Spirit of God. In Vverse 1, he made a contrast between what is previously recorded in Chapter 7 when he wrote: “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” Paul had been writing about the power of the Law and its inability to provide freedom and deliverance from sin, which he personified as controlling the life of one under law. The “flesh” can represent the Law because of its nature as well as the body with its passions and appetites, which within themselves are not sinful; only the abuse and misuse of the same are sinful. In Romans 8:2, Paul wrote that “the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” had made him “free from the law of sin and death.” In Verse 4, he declared that he and others did not “walk according to the flesh but according to

This controversial law has been in the news of late, especially since the killing of a teenager in the state of Florida. There are pros for and nays against this law, probably because of the abuse of it in some instances. Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, defines the “Stand Your Ground” law as follows: “A stand-your-ground law is a type of self-defense law that gives individuals the right to use deadly force to defend themselves without any requirement to evade or retreat from a dangerous situation. It is law in certain jurisdictions within the United States. The basis may lie in either statutory law or common law precedents or both.” Forty-six states in the United States have adopted the castle doctrine, that a person has no duty to retreat whatsoever when their home is attacked. Twenty-two states go a step further, removing the duty of retreat from other locations outside the home. Such “stand your ground,” “Line in the Sand” or “No Duty to Retreat” laws thus state that a person has no duty or other requirement to abandon a place in which he has a right to be, or to give up ground to an assailant. Under such laws, there is no duty to retreat from anywhere the defender may legally be. Would you be surprised to learn that the Lord Jesus Christ requires every Christian to “Stand Your Ground” when threatened by a certain enemy and his devices? In fact, the expression, “stand your ground” is in the Bible. Please read

People who are acquainted with the Bible, God’s inspired Word, have read how He created the heavens and the earth and formed man from the “dust of the earth” (Genesis 1-2). We also have learned from the same text how God took a part of man (Adam) and made woman. When Adam saw her, he said: “This is now bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; She shall be called Woman, Because she was taken out of Man.” Please read very carefully the following: “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and they shall become one flesh” (Genesis 2:23-24). It is reasonable, is it not, that the part of man that God removed from the side of Adam, He made woman and she became his wife. So, the man (male) and the woman (female) were joined together by God. Later “Adam called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all living” (Genesis 3:20). You see, God had given them the command, “Be fruitful and multiply…” (Genesis 1:28). It is not difficult to understand that in order to “Be fruitful and multiply,” that is, to bear children, you have to have a male and a female to propagate the human family. This is God’s design. This is a very strong argument against a man marrying a man or a woman marrying a woman. Such a so-called marriage is in opposition to and against God’s design for an acceptable

Normally, a public speaker uses illustrations from personal experiences; however, this writer experienced the reverse on an occasion. In a sermon entitled, “How to Understand the Bible,” I have made the point that there is not one contradiction in the entire Bible. I would also mention that there are those atheists, skeptics, agnostics and others who try to deceive the hearts of the innocent by charging that the Bible is filled with contradictions. I would then use the illustration about the person who asked the men on the porch of a general store if they believed the Bible. Upon receiving a positive answer, the doubter would then mention a ‘sure’ contradiction. He would say that Matthew related how Judas Iscariot “went away and hanged himself” (Matthew 27:5). Then the unbeliever would mention how Luke recorded how that Judas, “falling headlong, he burst asunder in the midst, and all his bowels gushed out” (Acts 1:18). He would then turn to the men and say, “Just how do you answer that?” One man stood up and said, “Easy, the rope broke!” So, instead of a contradiction there was harmony between the two writers. Well, I answered the door one Saturday morning and there stood two very young ‘elders.’ They desired an opportunity to discuss with me their peculiar doctrine. Treating them like I would like to be treated, I asked them to come into the house. I observed one young man had a copy of the Bible while the other young man

Notice one of the events surrounding the birth of Jesus. The Magi (wise men) from the East visited. They may have come from Media, Persia, Arabia, Chaldea or some Far East country. Daniel was made president of this order in Babylon (Daniel 2:48), and they are first mentioned in Jeremiah 39:13. They could have known of the coming of the Messiah from Jews living in their country. Even the Chinese sage Confucius (551-479) foretold a coming teacher in the west. Furthermore, Zoroaster, founder of the Persian religion, was contemporary with Abraham, and he predicted the coming of a great, supernaturally begotten prophet. The Septuagint was translated in Alexandria, Egypt in the in the year 280 B.C. into the Greek language; this was the universal language of the day. Therefore, it also could have contributed knowledge about a coming Messiah. In addition, the star that led the wise men was not a regular one. How interested are you in Christ? Notice the interest displayed by these wise men. They were interested enough to search for the Christ. We must search for the Christ, too. “Philip found Nathaniel and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the law, and also the prophets, wrote – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph’” (John 1:45). Anyone can discern the Christ. “If anyone wills to do His will, he shall know concerning the doctrine, Whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority” (John 7:17). “Ask, and

This was said by a ‘gay’ person who planned on marrying his ‘partner’ after the Supreme Court Justices (I shall call them ‘little gods’ since they redefined the definition of what marriage has been understood for centuries, that is, the joining together of a man and woman in matrimony) legalized same sex marriages on June 26, 2015. The man probably was correct in his assumption that his particular marriage ceremony would not affect others; however, the legalization of homosexual marriages will have some of the greatest impact on the citizens of the United States of America like it has never experienced before in the history of our nation. First of all, let me say that the liberal estimate of the number of ‘gays’ living in our nation is only 2-4 percent. Whenever any negative statements are made, or articles written about the homosexual style of living, the words ‘homophobic’ and ‘bigot’ are used toward the heterosexual population. Now that the ‘little gods’ have legalized ‘gay marriages,’ we are going to discover just how intolerant a group of people can be when individuals and businesses will not canter to their demands. The courts throughout the land will be filled with law suits of ‘gays’ demanding their ‘rights,’ whatever they might be. F. LaGard Smith wrote the following in his book, Sodom’s Second Coming (page 8), “Hardly anyone stops to notice that gay rights means heterosexuals having to give up rights – like the right to consider character when renting one’s house or when

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” “I will declare Your name to My brethren; In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You” (Hebrews 13:15; 2:12). Recently in our worship assembly on Sunday morning, the song leader had us to pause for a time of silence and to concentrate on why we had assembled. He then announced the numbers of the first two songs he had selected for the congregation to sing. He asked us to stand and sing. The songs he had carefully selected were songs of praise. The first one was entitled, “We Shall Assemble.” The lyrics clearly set the tone for our coming together as the children of God: “We shall assemble on the mountain, we shall assemble at the throne. With humble hearts into His presence, we bring an offering of song. Glory and honor and dominion unto the Lamb, unto the King. Oh, hallelujah, hallelujah! We sing the song of the redeemed.” The following three hymns we sang were all songs of praise and adoration rendered to our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. They were, “To God Be the Glory,” “Glorify Thy Name” and “Worthy Art Thou.” When it came time to partake of the Supper of our Lord, there really was no reason to have a song “to help us prepare for the communion.” Our hearts had been concentrating on

The Preacher wrote in Ecclesiastes 11:1, “Cast your bread upon the waters, For you will find it after many days” (NKJV). Bible students generally agree that this verse, in the light of the immediate context is speaking of being a benevolent person who sees others in need and displaying a charitable attitude toward them, regardless of their moral status. It may be a gift of money, some food or a word of encouragement. Jesus Christ was the perfect example of this principle while He lived on this earth and He taught His disciples to profess the same attitude as found in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). The apostle Paul later wrote: “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith”(Galatians 6:9-10). Our Lord stressed that when we do a charitable deed, we should not do such to be seen of men (Matthew 6:2-4); but, our heavenly Father knows when we give and the intent of our heart. “For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister” (Hebrews 6:10). To help a friend, a fellow Christian or a stranger without a desire and expectation of recognition is indeed rewarding. The joy is in the giving and

My wife and I were eating lunch recently at a local restaurant. The server was a petite, pretty young lady, exceptionally nice, and she attended to our every need. I said to Virginia that I hoped she was as good and pleasant in every way as she was in her demeanor toward us. As we were finishing our lunch and as she approached our table, I noticed some kind of ring on her left hand. So, I asked, “Are you married?” There was a slight pause before she answered, and then she replied, “No, I suppose you could say I am engaged. My boyfriend and I have been living together for five years, and we have one child.” While I was disappointed, I was not surprised. I offered to marry them for just a free lunch, but she refused my offer. The complete disregard toward the teaching of the Word of God concerning marriage is not a gray matter. It is either black or white. Living together without the marriage vows is a violation of God’s law, or it really doesn’t matter at all because there are no rules governing such cohabitation of unmarried couples. Sad to say, married couples are now in the minority in this country. People who are living in what the Bible calls fornication should straighten out their own lives before condemning couples of the same sex who are marrying one another. Now, having said that, it is to be understood in no uncertain terms that

O my son Absalom – my son, my son Absalom – if only I had died in your place! O Absalom my son, my son!”(2 Samuel 18:33). Here is an exceedingly bitter cry. It is one of the saddest passages in the entire Bible. One would think that such was the cry of a mother who had lost the dearest thing on earth to her, a child. Yet, no, it is the bitter cry of a man weeping for his son who had been killed. Absalom, the son of David had been slain while leading his forces against his father, the King of Israel. David had instructed Joab and his men to deal gently with his son (2 Samuel 18:5), but they slew the young man anyway (2 Samuel 18:14-15). In the rearing of his son Absalom, David was indeed a failure. Yet, wherein had David failed? We must be fair and note that in other ventures in life, David was not a failure. In fact, in many things he was very successful. We observe that David rose rapidly in rank. We saw him first as a shepherd boy. He possessed a brilliant mind and fortitude. As a courageous lad, he went out to meet and defeat the great giant Goliath in battle. David was a many sided man. He was not only a shepherd but a poet, a singer and later the King of Israel. A man like this will usually make good in any situation. While as king,

Have you ever felt overwhelmed with a feeling of inadequacy when you observe some of the situations in life? There are scenes on television that depict wars being fought on foreign soils in which not only the soldiers but innocent civilians are killed. News reports fill our minds with the facts that thousands of people are actually starving to death because of an acute shortage of food. You learn of embittered conflicts being waged between citizens of the same country and even of the same city wherein people of all ages are murdered or maimed for life. Practically every day stories are brought to our attention of injustices abounding in our own land. Because of the greed of some, the poor and illiterate are taken advantage of and are caused to suffer in various ways. Then there are the aged who are lonely. Because of inflation, they are deprived of proper food and other necessities of life. The nursing homes are filled with the old and infirmed. All know those who are very sick, some with terminal diseases. Others are plagued with emotional problems. There are individuals whose hearts are broken due to the untimely death of a child, the passing of a parent or one’s mate. It seems that on every hand we find the downtrodden, the bereaved, the oppressed and the broken-hearted. Thus, we ask ourselves the question, “What can I do?” The problems of this world are so complex and vast, and “I am but one person

“Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth, Before the difficult days come, And the years draw near when you say, ‘I have no pleasure in them.’” This passage of Scripture is ordinarily used in encouraging young people to remember God and to give their lives to the Lord; however, I believe there are several lessons contained in this text that would be applicable for parents First of all, parents should remember that children are not ours to rear as we choose. The Psalmist declared, “Behold children are a heritage from the Lord…” (Psalm 127:3). We should have the same attitude of Hannah when she made this vow to God, “O Lord of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head” (1 Samuel 1:11). Our attitude should be same, that is, when God gives us children, we should give them back to Him by rearing them in the “training and admonition of the Lord” (Ephesians 6:4). Second, youth is the time to teach our children of God and Jesus Christ. Their hearts are receptive and not filled with prejudice. Children trust their parents, and they can be impressed with the teaching they receive from the Word of God. Jochebed, the mother of Moses, must have greatly

No doubt, we all have of heard of a ‘gated residential community,’ but have you heard of a ‘gated church’? Well, the church is not really ‘gated’ but the property is sometimes ‘gated’ to keep unwanted people off of the premises who might break into the building or to enter the grounds for immoral purposes. I have heard of some churches having fences around their parking lot in order to keep would-be thieves from breaking into the automobiles while the members were worshiping. For the first time to my knowledge there is a church of Christ in the city where I live that has installed a gate to keep cars and trucks from entering their property except during their worship assemblies. The famous city of Jerusalem, the center of the Jewish worship, was indeed a literal, ‘gated’ city as mentioned in the Bible. In the New Testament we find several references to ‘gates’ being mentioned. The first one I desire to observe is the “narrow gate” that is found in the words of Jesus as recorded in Matthew 7:13-14. In most instances, you will have to be invited into a ‘gated community’ before receiving permission to enter the premises if you do not live there. The “narrow gate” that Jesus mentioned is open to all who will accept His invitation that He extended as found in Matthew 11:28-30. “Come unto Me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you

I received word that a good Christian friend of mine who was a member of a congregation where I had preached several years ago was in a hospital in critical condition, having suffered a series of strokes. The problem was at that time I did not know in which hospital he was a patient. As soon as I could I called his home telephone number hoping that some of the family members might be there. The person who answered the telephone was a granddaughter of my good friend. I asked, “Where is your grandfather?” In a very sweet loving voice and without a moment of hesitation she replied, “He is in heaven.” Of course it was then that I knew my brother in Jesus Christ had passed from this life into eternity to be in the care of our Heavenly Father. I thought to myself, what an impression this brother had made on his granddaughter that she would speak with such confidence concerning her grandfather’s eternal destiny. Now I realize that only God knows for certain the eternal destiny of every person who dies. We do know that “the dust will return to the earth as it was, And the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Ecclesiastes 12:7). In addition, the child of God does have this precious promise from our Lord Jesus Christ: “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes

This subject is on the mind of most everyone today (February 12, 2010). It is rare when we do have snow this far south. Remember other occasions (i.e., Opp, AL on March 14, 1973, 6”–8”; Prattville, AL on March 14, 1993, 6”; as a boy in north Georgia). Snow is the handiwork of God and shows His Almighty power. Psalm 148:8 reads, “Fire and hail, snow and vapor; Stormy wind, fulfilling his word…” The word “snow” is mentioned 20 times in the Bible—5 times in the Book of Job. The power of God is manifested in the field of physical science. God asked 40 questions in Job 38 that are still marvelous today. Consider these samples: “Have you entered the treasury of snow, Or have you seen the treasury of hail…” (Job 38:22). This verse suggests the availability of snow and also the importance of the quality of snow.  Snow collects nitrates, free ammonia, etc. The source of the snow is God. “For He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth’; Likewise to the gentle rain and the heavy rain of His strength” (Job 37:6). Snow could be found in Palestine, in the mountain ranges of Lebanon and on Mount Hermon. Snow might also visit Jerusalem. “She is not afraid of snow for her household, For all her household is clothed with scarlet” (Proverbs 31:21). “Like the cold of snow in time of harvest is a faithful messenger to those who him for he refreshes the souls of his

The title of this article is found in the words of a religious song that I have heard on the radio several times. It is a moving song – one that really makes you think. God made man in His image, and one likeness of the Creator is that man can make choices. Adam and Eve made the wrong choice and introduced sin to the human family (Genesis 2-3; Romans 5:12). The Israelites were required to choose to serve Baal or God (1 Kings 18:20-21). Jesus invites mankind to come to Him and He will give rest to all who decide to do so (Matthew 11:28-30). Our Lord also presents to us two gates to enter and two ways to travel in this life (Matthew 7:13-14). The decision an individual makes will determine the direction he will travel in this life and eventually where he will be in eternity. In this life we all make decisions small and great from day to day. Some of our decisions will bring joy to our hearts while others cause sadness and unpleasant consequences. The young couple that commits fornication often adversely affects the conscience of one and perhaps both parties. Sometimes a child is the result of such an immoral deed, and shame is felt among members of both families. Pity the person who becomes addicted to some form of drugs and destroys both body and mind. In a moment of anger a life is taken and the guilty party has to endure

When one reads the biblical accounts of some of the true stories of conversions to the Lord, he cannot help but to note that there was great rejoicing. In Acts 2 the people on Pentecost who were baptized “praised God” (v. 47). The man from Ethiopia “went on his way rejoicing” after responding to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and being immersed (Acts 8:39). In Acts 16:34, we read that the Philippian jailer “rejoiced, having believed in God with all his household.” Earlier, Luke informed us that he and “all his family were baptized.” Many have been the times that people have broken forth with deep emotions by the shedding tears of joy and expressions of gratitude to God whenever their sins had been washed away by the precious blood of the Redeemer. As one who has witnessed such occasions, I know that the joy experienced in the heart is simply wonderful. It may have been a cold winter’s night when an individual was baptized in an unheated baptistery or during the regular worship assembly in the presence of many who were present on that occasion, but the end results were the same – forgiveness and rejoicing. It is indeed significant to notice that true “rejoicing” was experienced following scriptural baptism and not before one was immersed. The reason being, salvation is promised only to those who believe and are baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of their sins (Mark 16:16; Acts 2:38). The wonderful thing

We have heard about Mount Everest because it is the highest mountain on earth at the height of 29,029 feet, but did you know that there are seven mountains in its vicinity that reach from less than 21,000 feet and some which are over 27,000 feet in altitude? They are less known because of the reputation of Mount Everest and its height. Did you realize that there were six other miracles that occurred at the crucifixion and resurrection of our Lord? Because of the importance and significance of the Savior’s death and resurrection, these miracles are less known because of the greatest events pertaining to Jesus Christ. Three Hours of Darkness: Matthew 27:45 reads, “Now from the sixth hour until the ninth hour there was darkness over all the land.” The darkness came during Passover when the moon was full so it was not an eclipse of the moon. Luke 23:45 says, “Then the sun was darkened [obscured].” Tertullian said, “In the same hour too, the light of day was withdrawn, when the sun at the very time was in his meridian blaze. Those who were not aware that this had been predicted about Christ, no doubt thought it an eclipse. You yourselves have the account of the world-portent still in your archives.” Pontius Pilate sent the following report to Tiberius, emperor of Rome: “And when he had been crucified, there was darkness over the whole earth, the sun having been completely hidden, and the heaven appearing dark, so that the

When visitors attend our periods of worship on the Lord’s Day, they quickly observe that we partake of the Lord’s Supper as a part of our worship to God. Some ask, “How often do you partake of the Lord’s Supper?” The answer is that “we partake of it on the first day of every week” (Acts 20:7). Another question is, “Do you practice open or closed communion?” That is an interesting question. The fact is the Bible does not use such terms. It becomes necessary, therefore, to inquire from the Word of God who may and who may not participate in the Lord’s Supper. The apostle Paul, in addressing this particular subject in his first epistle to the church in Corinth wrote, “So let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup” (11:28). Thus, the participation in the communion of the Lord is a very personal matter. In the churches of Christ, there are no brethren standing by to inform people who may or who may not eat the bread and drink the fruit of the vine. That responsibility is not in the realm of decision-making by the church leaders. It is an individual matter. In this sense, the church of the Lord practices neither “open” nor “closed communion.” Each person must decide for himself. However, we must not construe this answer to mean that all commune with the Lord when they partake of the bread and of the fruit of

First of all, it is best that we define three of the words in the heading of this article. The word “symptoms” as used in the medical field can be described as indicators of an underlying health problem. For example, if someone is experiencing chronic fatigue, this may indicate a serious heart problem. In spiritual matters, a member of the church who is habitually absent from the worship assemblies may indicate that there is a lack of love for the Lord, which is a real heart problem. The word “society” is defined as, “A society, or a human society, is a group of people related to each other through persistent relations, or a large social grouping sharing the same geographical or virtual territory, subject to the same political authority and dominant cultural expectations.” The following definition is one of the best that I could find regarding the word “secular” (adjective), but in this case, I will use the word “secularization” (noun) to aid in our understanding of the word “secular.” Secularization refers to the historical process in which religion loses social and cultural significance. As a result of secularization the role of religion in modern societies becomes restricted. In secularized societies faith lacks cultural authority, religious organizations have little social power, and public life proceeds without reference to the supernatural. Secularization captures a long-term societal change, but it has consequences for religion itself. In Western countries, where it has been most pronounced, it has made the connection to their Christian heritage

Most believers in the Lord have sung or have heard the song “Jesus loves me this I know, for the Bible tells me so…” However, the expression ‘Jesus (God) knows me’ is equally as scriptural, and we all should love this great truth and the One who knows us. In 2 Timothy 2:19 we read, “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’” The church of our Lord has a sure foundation, and the gates of hades cannot successfully prevail against it (Matthew 16:16-18; 1 Corinthians 3:11). In the New Jerusalem, the wall “had twelve foundations, and on these were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb” (Revelation 21:14). The house of God (the church) has this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His…” In Nahum 1:7 the prophet wrote these comforting words, “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble; And He knows those who trust in Him.” God is all knowing. The Psalmist declared this in Psalm 139:1-6, “O Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, And are acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue, But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You have hedged me behind and before,

“And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32). In order to be made free by truth, there are five fundamentals of that truth that must be adapted to our lives. We have to know it. Not only are we commanded to know the Word of God, but there is a crying need for us to know it. It is necessary if we are to lead others. It is necessary if we are to properly be guided ourselves. Knowledge of God’s Word comforts us. Knowledge is equipment. It is the only offensive equipment we have, but we cannot use it to fight Satan if we haven’t taken possession of it. Some people confuse zeal with knowledge, but zeal without knowledge is dangerous (Romans 10:1-2). It is like a loaded gun in the hands of a fool. Such can do more harm in a short time than can be repaired in years. A zealous person without knowledge is somewhat like an automobile in the hands of a beginner. There is a great possibility of an accident. Knowledge will eliminate most problems in the church, but knowledge without zeal is also dangerous (2 Peter 2:20-22), but having knowledge and not living in accordance with that knowledge can cost the loss of souls (James 4:17). Another fundamental is to grow. Knowledge and zeal must be combined for spiritual growth. What about a child that does not grow past the baby stage? Some do not grow spiritually because they fail to

The person and work of the Holy Spirit in conversion is greatly misunderstood by the religious world. Many believe that there is a miraculous and mysterious working of the Holy Spirit in the heart of an individual at the time of his conversion to the Lord. One passage cited in support of this belief is Romans 8:16: “The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.” However, one should examine more closely the wording of this verse. Upon doing so, one can see that the Bible states that the Spirit bears witness “with” our spirit and not “to” our spirit that “we are the children of God.” There is a tremendous difference. This passage simply states that there are two witnesses to our conversion to Christ. They are the Holy Spirit and our spirit. Yet, how is this possible? Perhaps it is best that we mention that the Holy Spirit and the Word of God are not the same. The Holy Spirit uses the Word of God as the instrument in the act of conversion. Paul wrote that “the sword of the Spirit” is “the word of God” (Ephesians 6:17). This is the only offensive weapon that the Christian soldier has in combating the forces of Satan and in the converting of the alien to the Lord. The apostle Peter informed us in 2 Peter 1:21 that “holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit.” While this was spoken

The responsibility of preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ and pleading with sinners to obey this call belongs to the church of our Lord (Mark 16:15; 1 Timothy 3:15). We are to be persistent in our efforts in leading others to Christ. The body of the Lord is to continue this great work that our Savior began while he lived on this earth (Luke 19:10). We should never grow weary in this tremendous challenge. However, there is also a need to recapture the saved that have become lost. That is indeed strange, but it is a perpetual problem that plagues and perplexes the spiritually strong members of any congregation. Interested Christians spend a great deal of time and effort in bringing a lost soul to Christ, and at the same time become disturbed when they witness the losing of the saved. In other words, we win a few and lose a few. If we could retain all those who have been baptized into Christ, our church buildings would be filled to capacity. Elders, deacons, preachers, teachers and all faithful Christians become frustrated with the loss of members and often ask, “Who is to blame?” While there may be the case in which many are to blame if the proper care has not been shown to the erring, the Lord Himself dealt with this serious problem in the parable He gave regarding the sower who went forth to sow the seed (Luke 8:4-15). The seed (word) was not different as it

Several years ago while studying in my office, the telephone rang. When I answered, a lady inquired if a certain person was there. I replied in the negative. She asked, “Is this the Church of God?” I answered, “This is the church of Christ.” She replied, “Oh, I have the wrong number.” I then said, “I want to assure you that this is the church of God.” This short conversation made me realize once again how denominationalism has really confused matters regarding biblical terms applicable to the church of the Lord. In fact, it made me feel uncomfortable to answer the lady in the manner I did. While I did not deny that this was the church of God, realizing the confusion this would cause, I answered by saying this was a church of Christ. I knew if I answered in the affirmative to her question, she would not understand as to why the party she was asking for did not work here. What would you say if someone asked you if you were a member of the church of God? Now, think before you answer, and why would you answer in the way that you would. Could it be that you would not want to be associated with another religious group? Would you be truthful and unashamed by answering in the positive? Several years ago, I preached a sermon relative to the undenominational nature of the church of Jesus Christ. I emphasized the scripturalness of using all the biblical

Luke, the inspired historian, records the conversion of Saul in Acts 9. In chapters 22 and 26, Paul reviewed his conversion while making a defense of his character and work. When someone is asked when Saul was saved, he usually responds, “When he saw the Lord on the road to Damascus.” A famous country singer released a song during his life entitled, “I Saw the Light.” No doubt, many have claimed to have ‘seen the light’ while asserting that they were saved at that moment in time. Yet, was Saul really saved when he saw a light on the road to Damascus? You are urged to read again these three chapters in the book of Acts to learn the truth of the matter. Please study carefully the following observations: 1. If Saul was saved on the road to Damascus, he did not know it because he asked, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” (Acts 9:6). There is no denial that Saul, at this time, became a believer in Jesus Christ, but, was he saved? If so, what was the significance of the question, “Lord, what do You want me to do?” 2. If Saul was saved when he saw the Lord on the Damascus road, the Lord Himself did not know it because he told Saul to “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.” Certainly, this would have been the opportune time for the Lord to have informed Saul of

I had thought that I might enjoy having one, but I never dreamed that someone would give me a GPS, though they did. Much to my surprise, some of my children gave me a GPS for a Christmas present. A son took charge of getting the thing ready for me for use in my car. He put the address of a local business into the GPS, and this lady’s voice instructed me when and where to turn in order to get to my destination as I looked at a map where I was to travel. In case you might not be familiar with this gadget, here is a brief definition: “The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system made up of a network of 24 satellites placed into orbit by the U.S. Department of Defense. GPS was originally intended for military applications, but in the 1980s, the government made the system available for civilian use. GPS works in any weather conditions, anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day.” Theoretically I should never get lost while traveling when I use my GPS. In the beginning of man’s existence on earth, he was in a safe place and in a perfect relationship with Jehovah God. In a sense, man was not saved because he had never been in a lost condition. However, he became estranged from his God and in a lost condition because of his disobedience to the commands given to him from God (Genesis 2:15-17; Isaiah 59:1-2;

On Friday, March 2, 2012, our country [USA] was ravaged by an outburst of terrible tornadoes that brought death and destruction in at least 13 states. One tornado in the state of Kentucky stayed on the ground for 95 miles! Two others stayed on the ground for some 40 miles. At least one town was completely destroyed. Some forty plus persons lost their lives in a moment of time when their houses and other buildings fell on them. One infant was found critically injured in a field, and later we learned that she died, as well as the rest of her family. Hearts were broken and heads were bowed down with grief and sorrow as people saw the destruction of properties and learned of the loss of lives. You are made to feel so small and insignificant when you consider the onslaught of nature’s forces. My wife and I prepared the best we could by getting into closets when the warning came for our county, but even then, we did not feel secure. It is only when the clear signal was given did we feel relieved. In life, we all experience storms of various kinds. Sometimes like the tornadoes, they come upon us so suddenly that we are overwhelmed. Please excuse the personal experience, but one of the greatest encounters with the storms of life was the death of my ‘baby brother’ who was only 35 years of age when he was killed while walking across a four lane highway

Now, I thought that would catch the eye of you English majors when it should have been “And he had gone…” to the store or wherever. Recently, I heard a newscaster using that very phrase. I was talking with a public accountant just the other day and lo and behold, he used the same expression. It is good that we can laugh at ourselves. We need some humor along life’s way because of the great amount of seriousness we deal with in writing articles involving subject matters that often cause our hearts to be saddened. As a writer and public speaker, I have often used the wrong verb in a sentence. I still remember the time I inserted an adverb where I should not have done so. This occurred some 40 years ago, but this experience still lingers in my mind. I was preaching during the Sunday morning worship assembly, and I was speaking about the time when Peter denied the Lord. You know that Jesus had predicted he would and that something would happen when he did. Well, Peter did in fact deny the Lord and then I said, “And when that cock had…” It was then I began conjugating the word “crew” in my mind, and in that very moment I knew I was in trouble. The problem was I just did not know how to conjugate the word. A good friend who was a schoolteacher was sitting on the second pew knew I was in trouble, and

It is always good to remember a godly mother. Jesus while on the cross of shame and suffering thought of His mother and instructed John to care for her after His death (John 19:26-27). One of the sweetest words in any language is “Mother.” A dictionary is not necessary to possess an understanding of such a meaningful term. Not all mothers are wives but they should be and not all wives are mothers, but God permitting they can be. One of the primary purposes of marriage is the propagating of the human race (Genesis 1:27). The role of motherhood should never be taken lightly nor should the status of being a mother be made light of in this modern age. There is no greater relation for a woman to sustain in this life than being a Christian mother. Perhaps the crowning act of creation by the Lord God was the forming of woman from the side of man. God saw that it was not good for man to be alone, and thus He gave to him a help suitable for him. Adam later named this woman “Eve” because she was the “mother of all living” (Genesis 2:18-25; 3:20). The wise man taught, “Whoso findeth a wife findeth a good thing” and that “a prudent wife is from Jehovah” (Proverbs 18:18; 19:14). In the bringing forth of a child, the husband and wife truly become one flesh. There is the binding together of the two. Motherhood is the highest honor given

I heard a Gospel preacher remark one time that during one of his many missionary trips to India, he spoke to a denominational body of believers who had discarded the use of instrumental music during their periods of worship. Also, they were partaking of the Lord’s Supper on the first day of each week. He instructed them more accurately of the way and immersed the preacher and most of the members into Christ. A few years ago, I read in a brotherhood publication (Restoration Quarterly) that a congregation of the Lord was in existence in Canada during the early to middle part of the 19th century that was not comprised of brethren who had moved there from the United States. For many years, we have known of congregations existing in various parts of Europe and Asia that were not in any way connected with the Campbell-Stone movement in this country during the 19th century. In the study of the Restoration Movement, there is concrete evidence that New Testament churches were in existence before the Campbells became influential in different states (Examples: the Rocky Springs church, Bridgeport, AL was established in 1807 and the Oak Grove church, Rincon, GA was started in 1819). Why am I drawing your attention to these matters? Because there are numerous brethren who are saying that the church of Jesus Christ is so aligned with the Campbells and to culture (mostly southern) that we are merely a denominational body like the rest of the Protestant world.

Holiness is an important factor in matters pertaining to church growth. Holiness is a way of life, that is, the character of all those people who are pure in heart (Matthew 5:8; Hebrews 12:14). How we think, talk and live before our fellowman is important. A light that flickers and salt that loses its preserving power contribute to the stagnation of a local congregation. Christians who are living godly and involving themselves in the care of others will influence sinners in the way of the Lord. Hypocrites who deceive, negligent members who are filled with apathy and brethren who stray, injure the cause of the Lord more than they realize. Preaching without practicing prevents many from obeying the Gospel. A congregation may possess the greatest orator for a preacher but no one will come to hear him if the church is not respected in the local community. The fact is, neighbors and friends visit mainly because of their respect for you, the life you live before them and the example you are. They may disagree doctrinally, but they will respect your convictions. A ‘holier-than-thou’ attitude turns people away; however, a true sense of concern and compassion for others will entice them to listen to what you say. It is not necessary to wear certain kinds of apparel or to carry a placard advertising that you are member of some religious group. Your friends and neighbors already know what you are. They notice your enthusiasm or your indifference. They observe your

Several years ago as I was leaving a place of business, a friend engaged me in a conversation regarding the difficulties that were facing our nation at that time. He mentioned that during the depression years people were closer together as friends and neighbors. He emphasized the need existing in the hearts of people for one another. There seemed to have been a closeness prevailing among the citizens of our nation during those trying years. This brought to my mind a lesson relative to those things that tend to bring people nearer together. First of all, it might be good to mention those things that do not necessarily contribute to a closer relationship with others. Whenever money, material and physical blessings exist in abundance, people are apt to feel self-sufficient and self-reliant, and they become very selfish. A person who has everything feels no need of leaning on others for assistance. The tendency is not to be close to neighbors, friends and even family at times. In a marriage relationship, husbands and wives who both have professions may feel so independent that there is not the need of interdependence. Many are often prone to stay ahead of neighbors regarding the obtaining of the material and the physical. Such blessings can become a curse if an individual feels no need of God and others. Much to the surprise of many, it is during periods of trials, tribulations, sorrows and adversities that we are drawn nearer to one another. Consider the early

This not the usual question one asks relative to such an important matter. Often the question is raised, “Who should be baptized?” However we can, by dealing with the question, “Who Should Not Be Baptized?” give answer as to who should be baptized. First of all, infants should not be baptized. Children, while being born in a world of sin and being subject to sin are not born sinners. There is a difference. Sin is not something one inherits, but rather it is something one does: “For sin is the transgression of the law” (1 John 3:4). While a child inherits the consequence of Adam’s sin, he is not born totally depraved per the teaching of John Calvin. The prophet Ezekiel explained it this way: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father…” (Ezekiel 18:20). Second, young children who are not mature enough mentally to grasp the teaching relative to Jesus, His coming, His purpose for dying, His Sonship and an awareness of right and wrong in their lives should not be baptized. The age of ‘accountability’ varies with individual children. There must be the acceptance of God’s grace in this matter. God does not impute sin to those children who are in the years of innocence. This is the time for parents to teach and train their sons and daughters in the way of the Lord (Proverbs 22:6; Ephesians 6:4; 2 Timothy 3:14-15). Brethren should be careful about moving children

First, let us observe the person John the Baptist and what he preached and practiced regarding his calling, which was to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. Bible students are aware of the prophecies in Isaiah 40:3-5 and Malachi 3:1, that he was to be “The voice of one crying in the wilderness” and “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make straight in the desert A highway for our God.” His parents were Zacharias and Elisabeth, faithful children of God (Luke 1:5-7). John paved the way for Jesus, and the first disciples of the Lord were the disciples of John (John 1:35-37). He was neither a socialite nor did he wear the color of royalty, but he had a mission to carry out, and this he did with great courage. John lived during a transitional period between the Old Law and the New Testament of Jesus Christ. He exclaimed, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). It was in the near future that the kingdom of God would be established on earth as individuals were born of water and the spirit (John 3:5). Jesus Christ became its King and Head. The terms “kingdom” and “church” refer to the same entity (Matthew 16:16-19). The Old Testament prophets foretold of the coming of the kingdom that would be exalted above all earthly kingdoms (Isaiah 2:1-4; Daniel 7:13-14). This was indeed good news for those who would believe in the Messiah, Jesus Christ. John also taught that the descendents of Abraham, Isaac

The statement was made by a friend of mine that if one does something in religion and one’s conscience does not offend him, that religious act is acceptable to God. No doubt this is the general belief among many people today. Most of us have seen the scene of an angel and a devil vying at the same time for the control of a person’s conscience and actions. It is agreed that the conscience is a guide in religious matters. Even in the realm of opinions, a person must not act contrary to his/her conscience, otherwise it becomes a sin. This would be the understanding of what Paul wrote in Romans 14:23, “But he who doubts is condemned if he eats, because he does not eat from faith; for whatever is not from faith is sin.” While the conscience is recognized as a guide, the question is, can it be trusted as the acceptable authority in religious matters? The “Conscience is the testimony and secret judgment of the soul, which gives its approbation to actions that it thinks good, or reproaches itself with those which it believes to be evil; or, it is a particular knowledge which shows us what is good, or evil; and conscience tells us when we have done the one or the other” (Cruden’s Complete Concordance). We should note carefully that the conscience does not make laws and regulations, but rather it simply abides by what it has been taught, whether good or bad. The conscience

“And here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call thy name” (Acts 9:14). These words were spoken by the disciple Ananias to the Lord in reference to Saul, the former persecutor of the church of Jesus Christ. Saul had authority to cast into prison “all that call thy name,” that is, the name of the Lord. What was it and what is it to “call on thy name”? We can believe with confidence that it is not a mere repeating of the name of the Lord. On one occasion Jesus stated, “Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). In Luke 6:46, we read, “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” One can readily see that whatever calling on the name of the Lord is, such is more than saying his precious name. The two passages noted previously greatly emphasize the need of obedience to the commands of the Lord. The first instance wherein we find an inspired man using the prophecy from Joel 2:32 was Peter on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:21). That prophecy was, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Peter continued preaching to his audience that Christ had died and had been resurrected by the power of the

One of the cardinal doctrines of the New Testament is the resurrection of Jesus Christ. There are 38 references to the resurrection of Jesus in the books of the New Testament. The resurrection of our Lord is mentioned at least 13 times in the Book of Acts alone; so it was the center of the preaching of the apostles and other inspired men. If a person believes in the resurrection of our Lord, then all the other miracles listed in the Bible can be easily accepted as being true. Should a person deny the resurrection of Jesus, then the other miracles would also be denied. In the epistle to the “church of God which is at Corinth,” the apostle Paul wrote in detail concerning the resurrection of Jesus Christ. The general resurrection at His second advent is predicated upon the fact that our Lord Himself was resurrected from the dead. To deny one is to deny both. In the time of Paul, the Greeks did not believe in the resurrection of the body. They felt like the spirit relieved of the body was actually a blessing and the human body would never be resurrected. Even among the Jews, there was a sect called the Sadducees that did not believe in the resurrection of the dead (Matthew 22:23). In the great resurrection chapter of 1 Corinthians 15, the apostle dealt at length with this important subject. Here are some fateful conclusions that must be accepted if Christ was not raised from the dead.

To be perfectly honest with you, the sign was so small that I did not even notice it at the corner of Madison Avenue and Maryland Street. That is, until a friend informed me that our church building was for sale. It was then that I made an effort to check and see if there was a sign at the location of the Capitol Heights church building, and there was. However, at the bottom of the small sign was an arrow pointing down Maryland Street to the area where a house had been placed on the market for sale. During this period of time I heard from various sources that the word had been spreading that, yes, our building was for sale. It is amazing how a rumor gets started; in so many cases the person who began it really never took the time to investigate as to the possibility that the fact of the matter had not really been proven, and that is the way that it goes sometimes. I even see a sense of humor in some rumors while other tales can be very damaging to someone’s reputation, and that is bad. I hope the home owner has success in selling the house and that the buyer will obtain it at a reasonable price. Buying and selling of a commodity/product really helps our economy, and we all know that we need some assistance in that area. In the spiritual realm of things, the church (not the building) should

The month of June is normally a time for weddings. You can see pictures in the local newspapers of a number of couples who have ‘tied the knot,’ and they look so happy and blissful. Young love is simply a beautiful thing. It makes the world go around. It makes ‘old timers’ reflect over the intervening years when they went through the same experience. Isn’t life wonderful? In the midst of so much ‘gloom and doom,’ it is good for us all to pause and consider some lighter moments regarding matrimony and the time honored event that we call a wedding. In my years of preaching, I have performed several weddings for young couples. There have been some unusual happenings that occurred before, during and after the actual ceremony. I must begin with my own personal experience. I went all the way to Wildwood, Florida, to meet who I hoped would be my future in-laws. Now, brother Sam Slaughter was an impressive looking gentleman from the old school. He had worked for the Seaboard Airline Railroad for many years when I first met him. He also had cattle on his farm that was located between Wildwood and Oxford, just off of U.S. Highway 301. I finally got up enough courage to ask him if I could marry his daughter. Well, would you like to know what he asked me in return? Out of the blue he asked, “Can you hitch up a team of mules?” My integrity was immediately tested.